New toy, need some help

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Jul 30, 2011 | 04:24 AM

gudenkau

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Joined: Jul 2011

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New toy, need some help

ok guys, I signed up for another forum and it seems dead, you guys here look like you know a lot more about these trucks. I'm a ford guy, my first car, and i still have it, is a 1970 mustang with a 351c in it. But I just picked up a 1970 f100, and can say right now i'm regretting it. I traded a pretty cherry k5 blazer for it, and now I feel incredibly underpowered. It has the straight 6 198y engine, mated to a 3 on the on tree. numbers matching california truck with 90k box a miles. Its not bad, and it still has the factory a/c unit in it that works. But the engine leaves a little to desire with all the weight its pulling.
Problem number one, no brake lights. fixed. guy before me was a ghetto rigger who hacked the harness in the column. Turn signals still don't work. I want to turn this into a ratrod. So I come to you experts for some advice. Now I know its blasphemy but I want to lower the truck. Upfront I don't have a lot of money, so I'm going to do a quick lower and just wanted ya'lls opinions. I plan on flipping the rear leafs under the drive axel, which should give me about 2 inches, and I want to either cut the front coil springs or heat them and drop the truck. I'm considering slamming the front end on the springs and leaving the back end up higher (california style rake) because I plan to use the thing for hauling, but what do you guys think? does anyone know of a nice bolt on kit that doesn't require a lot of modifications that will lower more?
Secondly, and more importantly than the drop I recently (today) ran into some trouble with the truck. I was driving, under load (about 300lbs of wood) and my oil pressure tanked and the truck started to sputter out, then pressure came back and the truck ran fine. My opinion is that its the oil pump, any other ideas? some background as to why I'm so iffy about the truck is that prior to the trade, the kid who had the truck before me said it blew a freeze plug from sitting for 9 months, I asked him to throw one in so I could make sure that there wasn't pressure in the block and that there was no issues with the head gasket, and there didn't appear to be any. Does anyone have experience with these engines doing anything of this nature? I'm worried that there might be more than I can see wrong with the engine and i will be SOl, and being as this is my daily (aside from my motorcycle which I try to ride everyday, this is my grocery getter and the mustang is my toy that sits at home) I really cant afford that.
Third of all, to the f100 experts, Its a manual, as stated, and there is a strange popping in the clutch when i push it in. I traced the linkages and found the last rod that pushed on the clutch lever that is hooked to the transmission was completely not right for this truck, its supposed to have that adjustment and the pieces don't even thread together. So does anyone know what that linkage is called and/or where I can get it? And I'm assuming from time and miles put on the truck it lead to this other problem, and I am sincerely hoping that this doesn't mean a tranny rebuild, but the lever that pulls the clutch in the transmission is really, and when i mean really i mean I can shake the thing about 2 inches in every direction, loose. It has a lot of play in it and cause the majority of the popping (I rigged the first linkage i talked about to be stiff with some bolts and a welder and that helped the problem a little bit).

I'm at odds with this truck. I love its look, and can even get used to the small 6, but theres just enough wrong mechanically that I'm stressing about it. So that being said, does anyone know of transmission swaps that are relatively inexpensive? I.E. swapping to a 4 on the floor? Will it bolt up or is there a conversion kit needed? I have talked to some guys who say there is a 3 on the floor bolt on conversion you can find for about $30 and I may go that route, but i really don't want to molest this thing too much. About how much is a new transmission for one of these beasts? be it a 4 or a 3? and also any newer year 5's able to mate to the current engine easily? cause that would be awesome as well.

aside from the much needed body work and rust fixing (and obviously the wood bed rotted out) is doesn't need much. Interior is complete, just hacked to bits. Everything for the most part works. I'm a stereo installer so I'm not afraid of wiring in the truck, and it will get a nice system if I end up keeping it.

Oh, one more question, for future references, because I am thinking long term I might pull the current engine and transmission (hold on to it because it matches the vin) and drop in a bigger block. Which block is easiest to drop in?

and the biggest question....Where can i find OEM parts. Like OEM steally rims and grills and lights for cheap? The tail lights I'm planning and frenching caddy lights in the bed, but marker lights on the front I would like.

Thanks for all the help in advance guys. Happy building!